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He wasn’t really sure why it had to be him, or why it suddenly started and become the joke of the entire work staff of the damn coffee shop.
But it did and he was thankful for it even if it took awhile to get to that point.
It started off as any other day. Nux woke up before the sun after putting in a long night at the shop to get prepared for yet another long day. To do that requires copious amounts of caffeine. So after rousing his roommate, Slit, by shoving the man onto the cold, unforgiving, floor he made his way into the small kitchen to prepare coffee.
It was then that it occurred to him that they currently didn’t own a coffee maker because Slit got mad at the old machine for not brewing fast enough the previous morning (after waking up severely hung over it seemed). Nux silently cursed his friend before collapsing onto the worn couch in the living room and waiting for him to emerge from his room so the pair could go to some coffee shop on their way to work.
The shop they found was just around the corner from where they worked at The Citadel Repair Shop. It was once run by a crime lord Joe Immortan but after he was arrested along with his sons the ownership was shifted to a woman by the name of Furiosa who not only used to be Joe’s “Imperator” (whatever that actually meant) but also took part in his arrest. Now that left a lot of Joe’s War Boys, that hadn’t been arrested, with no income and nothing to do. Instead of leaving the young men to the wolves she actually helped them get back on their feet, finding them jobs, getting them better educated, helping the sickly everything they needed but never got from a man they saw as a God. Nux was said to be the best mechanic in town, a complete Rev-Head, who knew how machines worked more than he knew how he himself worked.
He was the first person she approached to work under her, Slit made sure that his friendship wasn’t forgotten and made Nux make Furiosa give him a job as well. It worked in her favor in the end, no matter how disagreeable Slit may be the two worked together well- just as long as Nux was driving that is.
The two hopped out of Nux’s highly customized car and made their way into the small shop, deeply inhaling the scent of freshly roasted coffee.
“Shit, we need to come here more.” Slit commented. His focus was not on the smell of coffee and baked goods but on the three women working the shop. Nux ignored him and walked up to the counter, where an exceptionally beautiful redhead was waiting to take his order.
“How can I help you?” She questioned, eyes darting to where Slit was trying to chat up a pale blonde girl. Nux grabbed Slit by the collar of his leather jacket and tugged him away, turning him to look at the menu as a small crowd began to form in the restaurant searching for a morning pick-me-up.
“The biggest dark roast i can get” Nux told her toying with the edge of the counter “no cream and extra sugar, please”
“Ok, and what’s your name Warboy?” She asked with an eyebrow cocked. Nux was almost embarrassed to be recognized as such due to all the horrid things being a War Boy was associated with, but he was just a young boy, slowly wasting away from cancer, who didn’t fit in anywhere except under a car’s hood or behind its wheel… so when Joe came along offering medical help he couldn’t get and all he had to do was drive for him and fix cars… how could he say no? It was hope, a future for him.
“Nux” He told her with a small smile. She nodded, billed him, then politely asked for him to wait as she got his order, a dark haired girl taking Slit’s order.
“Have a nice day” She told him as she reached over the counter to hand him his coffee. He tried not to look too dejected when she spelled his name wrong but found he couldn't exactly blame her as it was an unusual name and the “x” could sound like a “cks”. So He thanked her and dragged Slit out of the shop with him.
They returned the next day to find the three from yesterday joined by a short haired girl, cleaning a gun at one of the small tables. Slit didn’t try to flirt with one of the girls this time around, stating that he felt as though the girl was looking for an excuse to shoot one of them.
“Oh um my name, it’s Nux, with an X” Nux informed the redhead as she picked up the sharpie to write his name. She nodded and handed the cup off the the pale girl Slit took interest in the day before for her to make his order as she helped the brunette take orders. The girl laughed quietly as she poured his coffee and handed over the steaming cup.
His brows furrowed as he looked at the name written in the sharp scrawl.
N-X-C-K-S.
He wasn’t very book smart but he was pretty sure that there was no way that could ever spell his name.
Slit was cracking up as they headed over to work.
This continued for months. Every morning at the same time he and Slit would drag themselves into the small shop, Nux would always get the same drink, an extra large dark roast with no cream and extra sugar, Slit would get some kind of flavored concoction Nux couldn’t even pretend to remember and flirt with the girls permitting Toast (who had a habit of cleaning her gun in the shop) or Furiosa weren't there.
Soon all the girls knew his order, they knew where the two boys worked and a bit about them as well - mainly wild stories that Slit told them. The two War Boys really only knew their names and that they were apparently sisters the rest they kept locked away.
But they refused to get Nux’s name right.
At first he figured it was only Capable -- the red-head who was like chrome, so beautiful and shiny -- that refused to learn his name, that when one of the other’s would take his order his name would be correct.
It never was. Ever. Slit thought it was hilarious, it was what he looked forward to every morning. The girls were creative, he’d give them that, never once was his name spelled the same way. Whenever Dag took his order his name was spelled with an obscene amount of “silent” letters. The first time she did that Capable was laughing so hard she disappeared into the back.
Even Furiosa looked forward to when he would walk into the shop and set down his coffee as he began to work. She also found the Dag’s butchering of his name hilarious it seemed, as the usually stoic woman chuckled lowly every time she saw his cup.
In fact everyone seemed to get a kick out of this except for him. Officer Rockatansky would always turn Nux’s cup to see the variations of his simple, three letter name every morning on his way out and give a slight smile and a thumbs up to whomever was responsible that day before rubbing Nux’s shaven head and heading out to do whatever he actually did around town.
One day Nux had just had enough, Slit had taken to calling him “pussy” instead of his name for the past several weeks because he couldn’t bring himself to ask for Capable’s number or ask her out of a date.
He also couldn’t take the embarrassment of someone so chrome butchering his name every morning because he had a gigantic crush on her and just wanted to please her, and be more than just the shy WarBoy who gave her and her sisters amusement every morning for almost a year and a half.
Slit wasn’t with him today as he went in three hours later than usual, Slit was in the hospital after he got too drunk and decided that he could totally jump from their apartment window and into a tree. He couldn’t, and Nux wasn’t quick, or sober, enough to grab him before he tried.
Nux didn’t notice the relieved look on the girls' faces when he walked in, his fingers toying with the keys in his hand. Today was the day.
“Are you having the usual today Nux?” Capable asked uncapping the sharpie.
“Yes, and my name. It’s Nux. N- U- X. Three letters, no more, no less. Please, don’t butcher it. It’s who I am,”
“Alright WarBoy, you got it” Capable told him with a bright smile as her sisters giggles. Nux thanked her and apologized as he took the cup.
“What?” He sighed, slumping his shoulders forward “How does that even-” He stopped, his brain processing the series of numbers. He blinked a few times, a blush settling on his cheeks as he looked to Capable.
“Something wrong?” She asked innocently. He quickly shook his head, stuttering out a “no” and a “Thank you” before he walked out of the small shop- hitting his hip on a chair on his way out.
Slit was continuing his ever existent mantra of calling Nux a “pussy” even as he dialed Capable’s number later that night. He was pacing, his fingers toying with whatever they could find - his shirt, the pockets of his cargoes, shoe laces, the chipping wood of the coffee table.
“Hello?” A female voice answered cautiously on the other side of the line.
“Capable!” Nux sighed in relief, glad that she didn’t give him a false number.
“Wait you actually did it?!” Slit bellowed lunging across the couch “Shit! Double date! Help me hook up with Dag!”
Nux head-butted his friend and went to his own room, murmuring a string of apologies that didn’t quite connect or come out correctly. Once Capable assured him that everything was okay he took a deep breath and sunk to the floor beside his bed.
“So then… would you like to go out with me Friday night? I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want to anymore or can’t. You’re probably really busy and I’m just some WarBoy and you’re Capable. You’re all shiny and chrome and-” His babbling was abruptly cut off by Capable simply saying yes.
“Yes?” He asked.
“Yes” She repeated “Pick me up at shop at seven. Should I dress up or anything?”
“No” Nux told her “No… just come as you are, that’ll be good. I’ll have to make sure Furiosa will-”
She cut him off again, this time by asking Furiosa, who apparently lived with her and the other sisters, if he could get out early.
“Don’t worry, you’re all good to get out whenever you need” She informed him after a brief discussion. He nodded before he realized that she couldn’t actually see him so he mumbled out an okay and thanked her before they said their goodbyes and the call ended.
Friday came around and Nux was out the door as soon as the clock read five to go home, shower, get ready and make sure everything for the night was set. He briefly wondered if his outfit was too casual but after overthinking it he realized that he said to come as you are and this was him so why change it?
He loaded up his car with blankets, a cooler, and a lantern before he drove over to the coffee shop. He was early so he got out and settled on the hood on his car and waited for the fiery good to show up.
Furiosa dropped her off, giving Nux a curt greeting before she headed off to wherever she went on Friday nights.
Nux was happy to see that she wasn’t dressed up in the slightest, wearing skinny jeans and a white V-neck under a worn leather jacket. He opened the door for her after stumbling over a greeting, he couldn’t actually believe she was going out with him because she was just so beautiful and he had.
“Where to?” She questioned as he started the car and headed out of town.
“You’re going to just have to trust me on this one” He told her glancing over at her.
“Why should I trust you? For all I know you could be trying to get back at me for butchering your name” She teased. He didn't say anything, just shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She studied him a lot.
“Do you mind?” She wondered, her hand reaching towards the radio. He shook his head.
“No, please, go ahead,” He told her. Capable found a classic rock station she thought that the two of them could enjoy as she watched the sun sink below the red horizon.
“How alike are you and Furiosa?” He asked her suddenly. She shrugged.
“Stubbornness,” She suggested “ We all like cars, the speed you know. It bonds us all I guess. We all come from this Hi octane…” She didn’t finish the thought as Nux gave her a bright smile, up shifted and went off road.
“What are you doing?” She asked panic rising as she gripped the dashboard
“I’ll show you” He assured her “Don’t worry, I’m a good driver. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise… I promise.”
True to his word, she didn’t get hurt and as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon he parked his car in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. His eyes went to the darkening sky, practically buzzing with nervous energy.
“What’s here?” She asked as he went into the trunk. She took the lantern from him as he laid the blanket over the hood over his car and offered her a hand up even though she didn’t need it.
“Valhalla” He told her pointing up even though his eyes stayed trained on her. With the sun gone and the darkness was lit by what seemed to be all the stars in the heavens.
“You can even see the milky way” Capable gasped leaning back against the windshield. Nux nodded.
“Do you like Miss Giddy’s?” He asked “Because I can’t cook but I really wanted to bring you here but I didn’t want to not have food or anything so-” Capable pressed her fingers to his lips causing his to stall up.
“I love it,” She told him with a smile “What did you get us?” She kicked off her boots and pulled her knees to her chest as she watched Nux pull out a few boxes of food.
“I didn’t know what to get so I got a lot of things… Do you drink or want to? I mean I have some Corona if you want…” She nodded and took the cold beer he offered her, grabbing a water for himself.
“You’re not drinking?” She observed as he pulled himself onto the hood as well, making sure to maintain a certain amount of distance between the two of them.
“I need to drive, I don’t want to risk anything” He told her as he began opening the boxes of still- hot food. The two picked through the boxes, eating and enjoying the food, the company and the music from Nux’s phone.
“Come here, Warboy” Capable beckoned. He moved closer to her and she settled herself against him, pulling a blanket around them both as they looked to the stars and talked. Nux had calmed down throughout the date, his hands finding stimulus in Capable’s, just tracing them commenting on how soft they were.
“What got you into being a WarBoy?” Capable asked as she took a sip from the same beer she’d been nursing all night.
“I was an orphan, my mum died when i was young and my dad had to go somewhere for work. He never came back. I got Lymphoma, it got really bad. I never thought anything of it, they were my mates I mean. Larry and Barry, I called them” He sat up shrugging off his jacket and shirt to show her the scars on his shoulder from the two. “ Even back then I was a Rev-head and a Black Thumb. I hot-wired a WarBoys rig, they wanted to kill me but instead they made me one of them. Joe himself saw my potential. Got me the best medical care i could… or well that’s what they say I wonder sometimes. There was a woman with him… sometimes I think it wasn’t Joe’s kindness that saved me. The cancer hasn’t come back. They said I should enter the lottery. Even after I was cured I stayed. It was where I could belong. I’m not smart… but I didn't have to be. I just had to do what I love. I was saved for something great. Joe wasn’t good though, he was very bad.”
“And this?” Capable questioned, he had noticed her shock when he revealed the scarification on his torso, now her fingers gently grazed the design before returning the her lap.
“A V8 engine” He explained with a smile “Scarification was pretty common, we all have this insignia on our backs too” He gently guided her hand to the back of his neck giving her room and time to pull away if she felt the need. She nodded and took his own guiding it to the same spot on her.
“I know” His brows furrowed as his fingers traced over the raised design. “You probably know about how he trafficked girls as well as drugs… and everything else. I was taken when I was very young… we were his wives, his treasures, his breeders” She spat “locked away from the world he was killing. Furiosa and Max helped us get out… as well as a mysterious war boy who sabotaged their engine.” Nux stayed silent as he fingers continued to trace the design. He had heard about his wives. How perfect they were. He subdued the fury he felt begin to rise and shifted his attention back to Capable who was watching him process the information. He quickly kissed her cheek before averting his gaze to the ground.
“Never again… I’ll help protect you...and your sisters.” He informed her. She smiled gently and intertwined his fingers with her own.
“We should probably head back” She told him looking at the time “We both have work in the morning.
Nux nodded and jumped up, together they reloaded the car and sped back to town. Nux dropped her off at her house, walking her up to the door.
“I had a really great time” Capable told him “We should do that again”
He nodded avoiding her gaze and shifting his weight.
“Yeah, we should. I’ll see you tomorrow?” He questioned.
“You will” She confirmed “And I’ll have an Extra large coffee waiting for you…”
Nux smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure what he should do, he wasn’t to kiss her like he saw in the movies he and Slit sometimes watched because they were being marathoned and nothing else was on TV.
“Can I” He stuttered trailing off. She nodded and stepped forward. His hand gently brush a stray strand of fiery red hair from her face before he leaned down to press his lips to hers. The kiss was quick, mainly due to the fact that Furiosa tore the door open. Nux ducked away and quickly headed to his car after a choked good bye and an apology. Furiosa looked almost surprised as Nux had, Max smiling at the awkward scene that had just unfolded before them.
The next morning a blushing Nux headed into the coffee shop with a shockingly quiet, and limping, Slit in tow. He found Furiosa behind the counter making her own coffee and Capable in the back.
“Dark roast with extra sugar?” Furiosa questioned after seeing Nux.
“Oh...yeah” He told her. Capable came out from the back only to falter when she saw Furiosa hand the WarBoy a cup. He turned into a babbling mess when he read “Loverboy” etched into the side. Furiosa stated that she’d see him in a few minutes as she left the shop, giving Max a coffee on her way out.
“I... I’m sorry” Nux apologized “Maybe I shouldn’t have-” Capable leaned over the counter to kiss his cheek, effectively quieting the boy.
“How do you feel about going to the movies next Friday?” She asked. He nodded, telling her that that would be chrome before he left to get started at work, trying to hide himself under the cars as much as he possibly could.